Chapter 2: Unplanned Celebrations

I stood in the middle of the reception hall, the chaotic energy of the celebration buzzing around me like a swarm of bees. My heart pounded in my chest as I tried to make sense of what had just happened. How had I gone from being a guest at my best friend’s wedding to accidentally becoming someone else’s bride? I raised my hand, waving frantically to get someone’s attention, but my voice was drowned out by the enthusiastic cheers of the crowd.

“Excuse me! Wait, this is all a—” Before I could finish my sentence, a woman with curly hair and a bright smile pulled me into a tight hug.

“Oh, Mia, what a romantic way to start a marriage!” she gushed, squeezing me so hard I could barely breathe. “It’s so spontaneous and exciting! You two are just perfect together!”

“Actually, I think there’s been a—” I tried again, but she was already moving on to congratulate the next person, leaving me standing there, mouth agape, completely lost.

I glanced across the room and spotted Ryan Collins, the man who was now, apparently, my husband. Ryan stood a few feet away, looking as stiff as a board, his jaw clenched and his expression unreadable. He wasn’t saying a word, just standing there like a statue while his father pounded him on the back, laughing heartily.

“Ryan, my boy! You always were full of surprises,” Mr. Collins boomed, his laughter echoing through the hall. Ryan’s lips twitched into a tight smile, but I could see the tension in his shoulders. He was as unhappy with this situation as I was, but for some reason, he wasn’t doing anything to fix it.

What is wrong with him? Why isn’t he saying anything? I wondered, my frustration mounting by the second. My gaze darted around the room, searching for anyone who could help us straighten out this mess, but instead, I was met with more smiling faces, more congratulations, and more confusion.

“Mia, darling!” My mother’s voice cut through the noise as she made her way over, her arms wide open. She was a petite woman with wild, silver-streaked hair and a wardrobe that looked like it had been stolen from a bohemian art studio. She enveloped me in a warm hug, her eyes twinkling with joy. “My little girl, married! And to such a handsome man!”

“Mom, this isn’t—”

“Shh, shh,” she interrupted, placing a finger to my lips. “No need to explain, sweetie. I can see it in your eyes. You’ve found your perfect match.”

I stared at her in disbelief, wondering how she could possibly think that this was anything other than a colossal mistake. But before I could correct her, she was already moving on to Ryan, who looked like he was desperately trying to disappear into his suit.

“And you must be my new son-in-law!” my mother exclaimed, pulling him into a hug. Ryan’s eyes widened in surprise, and he awkwardly patted her back, clearly uncomfortable with the sudden affection.

“Uh, thank you, Mrs. Thompson,” he muttered, his voice strained. He cast a quick glance in my direction as if silently pleading for help, but I was as clueless as he was.

“Please, call me Mom,” my mother insisted, beaming up at him. “We’re family now!”

Ryan’s expression shifted from confusion to a sort of resigned politeness, and he managed a weak smile. “Right… Mom.”

I wanted to scream. This was a nightmare. How had things spiraled so far out of control in such a short amount of time? And why was everyone acting like this was normal?

Just when I thought things couldn’t get any worse, Ryan’s parents approached their expressions a mix of curiosity and approval. Mrs. Collins, a tall, elegant woman with sharp features and an air of authority, looked me up and down, her gaze piercing. I could feel her sizing me up, evaluating every detail from my slightly disheveled dress to the nervous way I was fiddling with my hem.

“So, you’re the woman who’s stolen my son’s heart,” she said, her voice smooth and polished. “I must say, you’re quite a breath of fresh air.”

“Um, thank you?” I replied though it came out more like a question. I had no idea what to say to this woman, and her scrutinizing gaze was making me even more nervous.

Ryan’s father, on the other hand, seemed more interested in the potential business benefits of this union. He nodded approvingly as he looked between Ryan and me, already calculating how this marriage could work to their advantage. “This could be very beneficial for both our families,” he remarked, a hint of satisfaction in his voice.

“Wait, what? No, this isn’t—” I started to protest, but the words got stuck in my throat as Mrs. Collins smiled at me, a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes.

“You’ll be a wonderful addition to the family, I’m sure of it,” she said, dismissing my attempts to clarify the situation.

I looked at Ryan again, hoping he would finally step up and help me fix this disaster, but he remained silent, his expression locked in that same tight-lipped smile. It was like he was trapped in some unspoken agreement with his family, and he wasn’t about to break character, no matter how ridiculous this whole situation was.

Before I could think of what to do next, Ryan’s sister-in-law, Sarah, burst onto the scene, practically bouncing with excitement. She was a petite, bubbly woman with an infectious smile and a tendency to overwhelm people with her enthusiasm. She zeroed in on me like a missile, wrapping me in a bear hug that left me breathless.

“Mia! I can’t believe it! We’re sisters now!” Sarah squealed, pulling back just enough to hold me at arm’s length, her eyes sparkling with delight. “This is the best thing that’s ever happened!”

“Sisters?” I echoed, still trying to process everything. “But—”

“No buts!” Sarah interrupted, linking her arm with mine and dragging me away from the crowd. “Come on, we have so much to talk about! Wedding plans, family dinners, holidays—oh, I’m just so excited!”

I shot a helpless look back at Ryan, who was watching the whole scene unfold with a mixture of amusement and exasperation. He rolled his eyes slightly, as if to say, Welcome to my world, and I couldn’t help but feel a tiny bit of sympathy for him. If this was what his family was like on a normal day, I couldn’t imagine how overwhelming it must be to deal with them all the time.

Sarah continued to chatter excitedly as she led me to a quieter corner of the room, her words blending together in a blur of wedding advice, family traditions, and questions about our future. I nodded along, barely able to keep up with her rapid-fire speech, all the while trying to figure out how I was going to get out of this mess.

“This is all happening so fast,” I said, trying to find a way to slow her down. “Maybe we should take a step back and—”

“Fast? Pfft, nonsense!” Sarah waved off my concerns with a flick of her hand. “When you know, you know, right? And it’s clear that you and Ryan were meant to be. Just look at how well our families are getting along!”

I glanced over at the rest of the room, where my parents were chatting animatedly with Ryan’s parents. They were all smiles, completely oblivious to the fact that this entire situation was a colossal mistake. The more I looked around, the more I realized that everyone seemed to have bought into this ridiculous charade.

As Sarah continued to gush about how wonderful it was to have a sister, I couldn’t help but feel a pang of guilt. They were all so happy, so excited for this marriage that wasn’t even real. But at the same time, I knew that continuing the charade was only going to make things worse in the long run.

I needed to find a way out of this, and fast. But how?

Before I could come up with a plan, the wedding DJ’s voice rang out over the speakers, announcing that it was time for the newlyweds’ first dance. My stomach dropped as I realized what was about to happen.

“No, no, no,” I muttered under my breath, trying to back away, but it was too late. The crowd was already parting, creating a space in the center of the room for us to dance. Ryan and I were pushed together, and I found myself standing face-to-face with him, our predicament all too real.

“Guess we’re doing this,” Ryan said with a resigned sigh, offering me his hand. I could tell he wasn’t any happier about this than I was, but we were both trapped by the expectations of our families and the momentum of the celebration.

“Yeah,” I replied, taking his hand with a grimace. “Let’s just get this over with.”

The music started a slow, romantic tune that only made the situation feel even more absurd. We began to dance, our movements stiff and awkward as we tried not to step on each other’s feet. The crowd watched us with adoring eyes, completely unaware of the fact that we were strangers who had just been thrown together by a ridiculous mix-up.

As we shuffled around the dance floor, I couldn’t help but notice the way Ryan’s eyes kept darting around the room, as if he was looking for an escape route. He was clearly just as uncomfortable as I was, and for a brief moment, I felt a strange sense of camaraderie with him. We were both stuck in this mess, and neither of us knew how to get out of it.

“So,” Ryan said after a long silence, his voice low enough that only I could hear. “Any ideas on how to fix this?”

“I was hoping you’d have some,” I admitted, trying to keep my voice steady despite the growing sense of panic in my chest.

“Right,” he muttered, his expression darkening. “Well, we’ll figure something out. We have to.”

“Yeah,” I agreed, though I wasn’t sure how we were going to manage that. “We just have to get through tonight, and then we can sort this out.”

“Agreed.” Ryan’s grip on my hand tightened slightly as if he was trying to draw some strength from the contact. “Just... try to keep smiling. The last thing we need is for them to start asking questions.”

I nodded, forcing a smile onto my face as we continued to dance. The music played on, and the crowd watched us with rapt attention, completely unaware of the chaos that was brewing beneath the surface.

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